Parading roped bull is banned !

The Antibullfighting Alliance, the Oeuvre d'Assistance aux bêtes d'Abattoirs and SPA du Pays d'Arles have won their case. The civil court of Tarascon has just decided the banning of "taureau à la corde" in Eyragues - (Bouches-du-Rhône department - South of France.
This degrading and humiliating event, in which a lassoed bull was dragged through village streets to be yelled at by a noisy mob, often involving injury to the bull along the way (bruised or broken tendons), was originally banned on 11 April 2000 by the Prefect of Montpellier (Hérault departement) following a 10 years struggle of the Antibullfighting Alliance.

The organisers have filed an appeal with the Civil Court of Aix-en -Provence asking for the decision to be revoked.

No More Premiums for Breeders?

On October 22nd 2014, the European Parliament voted on the new budget for 2015, including European agricultural subsidies. The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament think it unacceptable for farmers breeding and raising bulls for bullfighting to be eligible to receive agricultural subsidies.

Green MEP Bas Eickhout tabled a proposal to prohibit that European subsidies are being used to support these farmers.
Eickhout's proposal to end European subsidies on bullfighting did get the support of a majority of members of the Environment Committee, however the Budget Committee did not support it.

The European Convention for the protection of animals kept for farming is clear : Animals should not suffer pain, injury, fear or distress.
It's also clear that farmers who breed and raise bulls for bullfighting do not comply with those conditions. Therefore these farmers should not be eligible for agricultural subsidies.

No doubt we'll succeed in 2015 !

07/2012

Afflelou: the lie

On April 4th, Jean Grenet, Mayor of Bayonne announced Alain Afflelou would be a sponsor of the Bayonne Festival in July. A legitimate concern led us to interrogate the well-known glasses manufacturer to find out if he really was sponsoring bullfighting events. The company’s representative defended its case vigorously. The business asked expressly for “the money given to this event to not be used for the organisation of bullfights…”.

The denial from Mr Afflelou was therefore a lie, because “it’s hard to imagine a concrete separation between what happens on the street and what goes on in the arena” explained Claire Starozinski. The Anti-bullfighting Alliance launched a campaign to bring about awareness to internet users of the reality of this sponsorship deal.
A second statement has been put out by Alain Afflelou: this time, they get tangled up in their lies, saying that “Alain Afflelou has chosen to sponsor some 117 free events which will take place during the five days of festivities. The two bullfighting events on the programme are paying events which have nothing to do with our sponsorship deal”.

Some days before the bullfights, Afflelou gave up because of all the protests !

McDonald's : the denial

McDonald's was to be a sponsor of bloody bullfights for young aficionados, taking place in March 2011 in Saint-Gilles (Gard). On Sunday, a « practical class » was offered with four students from bullfighting schools facing four one year-old calves. You can easily imagine the sight of the calves slowly killed by apprentice bullfighters who obviously have neither the experience nor the physical strength to wield the sword.

A huge protest from members of the Alliance against bullfighting came to the headquarters of McDonald's, leading to its president, Jean-Pierre Petit, denying any involvement of the chain in this bullfighting show and « condemning the decision of one individual » who used McDonald's logo without any permission.Jean-Pierre Petit and his whole staff took turns answering our supporters’ questions and vehemently denying any involvement of McDonald’s in bullfights involving children.

No conditioning at school!

A Spanish teacher at Emmanuel d’Alzon, a private school in Nimes, had planned to invite Gilles Raoux a bullfighter, working at the Museum of Bullfighting Culture, into his first year High School class so that they could learn more about bullfighting.

As soon as Claire Starozinski was alerted by parents of students, she rooted out a 2008 directive she obtained from the Minister of Education, which says it is not part of the role of the national education system to promote bullfighting to children. Armed with this directive, Claire contacted Yvan Lachaud, French deputy, headmaster of the school and bullfighting supporter, in order to ensure that the directive was being adhered to.

The bullfighter's visit was cancelled!

In March 2009, a bullfighting conference was to be held at Jean-d’Arcet school in Aire-sur-Adour, south west of France, with bullfighters demonstrations during school time. Thanks to pressure from the Anti-bullfighting Alliance, the headmaster gave in and insisted that parents give permission to those students who wished to participate, after school. The result was that out of 185 students, only 9 showed any interest. Following this, the director of school invited the Alliance to come and « talk about the different faces of bullfighting ».

Pernod Ricard Group promotes bullfights

In the lead-up to the festive season 2009, the Anti-Bullfighting Alliance has launched its “DON’T SUPPORT BULLFIGHTING” campaign aiming to demonstrate to the Pernod Ricard Group the disapproval of all those who love animals. Although Pernod Ricard is number two in the spirits industry and sells some of the best known brands, it is also a supporter of the French bullfighting world, financing several Paul Ricard bullfighting clubs.

The Anti-Bullfighting Alliance has gathered together many of the world’s major animal protection associations: Animaux en péril (Belgium), ANIMAL (Portugal), CAS International (The Netherlands), FAADA (Spain), The Franz Weber Foundation (Switzerland), The Altarriba Foundation (Spain) and the League Against Cruel Sports (UK).

For these seven groups and the Anti-Bullfighting Alliance, it is not about damaging the Pernod Ricard Group, but about informing consumers. By associating its name, its fame and its financial power with an activity of which a growing number of people disapprove, and by shedding its neutrality, the Pernod Ricard group risks alienating a great number of caring customers who may choose to take their custom elsewhere.

june 2009

Lee Cooper gives up!

On his website, Lee Cooper had chosen to promote the feria of Nîmes with bullfights photos. Taking into consideration the campaign of the Antibullfighting Alliance and the comments of our members, the leaders of the firm answered « we support under no circumstances bullfights and what they implicate ».

Lee Cooper goes even further stating that the genuine make for more than 100 years does not support « shameful causes ». And, to avoid any amalgam, the society immediately cancelled from his website any reference to the feria of Nîmes.

Avignon and Nice say "NO"

After some visual communication display 4×3 in bullfighting cities – Nimes, Carcassonne or Arles – in 2004, 2006 and 2007, the Antibullfighting Alliance started again this year, for the 62nd Festival of Avignon.

Reminding that 73% of the French population is against bullfighting and only 27% of the Spanish show interest for bullfights, we intend, with such a campaign, to make the tourists refuse to attend bullfights. France’s EU presidency has to understand that a show with an animal tortured to death in a bullring, is not compatible with the values of brotherhood and progress conveyed by the european Union.

The Antibullfighting Alliance also campaigned in August, in Nice and lots of resorts of the French Riviera, in order to, once more, make the tourists and the foreigners aware of the pain imposed to an animal mutilated and tortured during 15 long minutes, in a severely violent and barbaric show.

jun 2008

For a Europe Without Bullfights?

In reaction to the exhibition organized by the Spanish aficionados in the European Parliament, twenty-seven anti bullfighting movements were present, in June in Brussels, for an international summit.

On June 4th, inside the Parliament, seven specialists, of which three eurodeputies - Caroline Lucas, David Hammerstein and Carl Schlyter - dismantled, one after another, all the arguments fluently moved forward by our adversaries whether it be on an economic, environmental, cultural or socio-political level. A static demonstration in the entry of the Parliament followed emphasizing the determination of all present movements and illustrating the international nature of the conflict.

During these two days, Alliance Antibullfight interfered again and again to share its strategies and its proposals with organisations from Portugal, from Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Germany, Holland, England, Ireland, Switzerland and Ecuador.

A good many of these movements have made the decision to come to Nîmes, September 13th, to participate in our big peaceful march. From their point of wiew, resolutely forward-looking, the European deputies made us solemn promises to continue conflict on all levels, particularly in the field of public subsidies allotted to the stockbreeders of bulls for the bullfights.

April 2006

For The First Time, In Arles…

After Nîmes, in 2004, Anti-corrida revealed the other side of bullfighting - not the power and the glory - but the pathetic reality of a gruesome performance for the beginning of the 2006 ferias in Arles. A large-scale anti-bullfighting poster campaign displayed fifteen 4×3 metre placards, during Easter, to coincide with the feria (fair) a week-long, non-stop celebration of corridas, bodegas and flamenco. The Alliance Antibullfighting hard-hitting posters aimed to make the public aware that this barbarous spectacle deserves no form of applause.

The campaign was launched on april 12th, official opening date of the Arles feria, and was advertised in a lot of medias. But on april 13th, all the photos were covered with paint… A significant gesture of aficionados showing that even themselves are ashamed of what they’re keen on… We’ve immediately lodged a complaint and bought new bills to be stuck up under police protection. Even if this campaign cost 5 600 $, this unexpected event attracted lots more medias than we were due to get and marked a step in a long battle to expose the unpalatable truth of a tradition that has made Arles and Nîmes the main bullfighting arenas outside Spain.

nov. 2008

Singer Céline Dion backs out…

Our Antibullfighting Alliance heard in October 2007, that Céline Dion had chosen young matador Matias Tejela to illustrate one of the songs from her new album Taking chances with a video clip. The killer was to appear, in a bullfighter costume, bare-chested and with a muleta in his hand, on a huge screen throughout the singer's 2008-2009 world tour.

The Antibullfighting Alliance launched a vast campaign leading to a polemic which soon snowballed through the medias and on line. Six days later, Céline Dion's record company assured us that: "although the choreography only showed the torero on a water surface, due consideration would be taken of our protests and the clip would not be released in its current version".

Eventually, be it in Boston, Montreal, Tokyo or Paris, the giant screen displayed neither clip nor matador in 2008 or 2009!

june 2007

Anti-Bullfighting Air Campaign

In May , at the time of the big Feria in Nimes, Anti-corrida organized an air campaign over all the area and particularly over the center of Nîmes to encourage the million visitors who go there each year, to flee the bullfights.

The aircraft flew over the Jardin de la Fontaine, the crowded restaurants and bars, at the time of the water tournaments and over the suburbs where bull games and bullfighting were also organized.

In July and august two planes flew from Cerbere to Antibes, along all the beaches targeting the holidaymakers. In all, 600km were covered and Anticorrida Alliance was able to deliver the message to millions of tourists.
This action had such an enormous impact that a lot of people have since thanked us for the idea and lots of medias covered that action.

Perverse effects

Bullfights uses the very perverse effects of seduction: colours, costume full of light, brass bands, sunshine. Everything is set up in order to mask the bloody reality, going so far as to evoke fallaci usly "the bulls which are not killed" during Portuguese bullfights. Now the bulls in question are systematically slaughtered when they get back to the stables, away from curious eyes. That’s why we have stated another court case concerning this fallacious publicity.

But bullfighting cannot be justified! No argument can stand up to objective examination. Justifying bullfighting for economic reasons doesn’t hold water. It’s like justifying cruelty for money. Such reasoning could take you a very long way. Moreover, Victor Hugo, Courteline and André Malraux, determined opponents of bullfighting, are worth just as much as Goya, Picasso and Hemingway quoted by bullfight lovers as examples. And to matadors who insist that they love bulls, we answer "You don’t kill what you love!"

As for their so-called courage, let’s not forget that in 1992 at Saint-Sever, some bullfighters organised a punitive expedition one night. As a matter of fact, some Spaniards had been more popular. And who did they attack? The organisers? not at all. They stabbed the bulls shut up in the corrals… What courage!

12/12/2014

the beginning of the end...

Initiated in 2006, the decline of the audience is confirmed in Spain and also inFrance. In le Grau-du-Roi, the new mayor has given up organizing these barbaric spectacles. In Cazaubon, (South-West) the mayor has refused to vote for financial assistance to cover a deficit of € 7,000.

Other cities, devoted to bullfighting, are struggling to make money « We could sell more but there is no demand » admits Simon Casas, in charge of Nimes bullring. « The bullring has registered several small entries » writes Midi Libre, the principal newspaper. Coordination of Nimes bullfighting clubs talks about 8,000 spectators and less and less youth in the bullfighting schools. In Béziers, there's been a 6% decrease in the sale of tickets for bullfighs of august and the director of the bullring is forced to admit : « The organizers are suffering. Bayonne has only registered 8,000 admissions for two bullfights. »

Europa-Park: INTERNATIONAL CAMPAign

Europa-Park is a leisure park on the theme of Europe, in Rust (Germany). In the Spanish area, the inside, the outside, the EP-Express station (train circling the park) and the corridors of the Spanish part of the park are covered with posters of bullfights... Take action and protest!

french personalities support us !

In response to the opening of the bullfighting season in Arles, over 50 well-known names from the French world of Arts, Culture, Research and Academia in France have signed an appeal published in Le Monde today, lending weight to the Anti-bullfighting Alliance’s proposal to the Minister of Culture and Communication.

Brought together in support of the Alliance, these personalities support the request for the battle against bullfighting to be added to the French inventories of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This would mean that, in the same way as bullfighting, there would be criteria to be met in order to be added to the inventory.

As a matter of fact, even if the Minister assures us that “being added to the inventory does not constitute in any way a form of recognition and serves only to state the existence of bullfighting practices in parts of France”, bullfighting enthusiasts state that this activity has become a “vital part of their cultural heritage”.

Such a shift could disturb the spirit of the French people, so the Anti-bullfighting Alliance has embarked on this step in order to re-establish equilibrium and to highlight the real impact of this act.

Protest in Nimes on 20th October

On Saturday 20th October, a demo was hastily organised. Despite a forecast warning of southern storms and numerous attempts at sabotage, a group of close to 500 protesters marched on Nimes, capital of the bullfighting region.

The crowd began their protest next to a giant, very symbolic figure in the square near the bullring, where some bullfighting aficionados were waiting for us. They were concerned about the bullfighter statue but none of the protesters were paying it the least amount of attention… The participants then took over the small streets of the city centre ending up in front of the Maison Carée where a short speech took palce The demo ended with a descentto the arena by way of the main road.

This lively and dignified protest was well reported by the following media (articles in French).

Futuroscope’s shameful sponsorship

The French theme park, Futuroscope, has this year given its sponsorship to the Dax Festival and the Encierro des pitchouns festival (children’s day), which involve bullfighting demonstrations on Saturday 11th August.

The programme, which includes the Futuroscope logo, can be seen on the website of the Dax Festival.
Following numerous reactions from our members since 1st August, a statement in support of this sponsorship was sent to us…

Dear Madam,

A sponsorship agreement was signed in this spirit with the Mayor of Dax last April.
During the course of the day, many sports activities and play events have been organised for the children: bouncy castles, skittles competitions, etc.
As part of our sponsorship, Futuroscope wishes to support a popular, family day. This action is part of Futuroscope’s aim to promote summer events and to allow families from different backgrounds to come to Futuroscope by taking advantage of free tickets.

Laure MOSSERON – Marketing Director

On 2nd August, the Director of Futuroscope revealed that this controversy “is damaging Futuroscope’s image” and that he won’t “be bringing it up at the convention in 2013 and make sure children will not be involved with bullfighting this day”.
In the meantime, many members have decided to boycott Futuroscope…

Peaceful march in Nîmes

On September 11th, in Nîmes, capital of french bullfighting, just before the wine harvest feria, during which bullfights take place in Arles, some 3000
campaigners from 40 animal welfare groups joined in a peaceful protest organised by the Anti-corrida aimed at sensitising public opinion against
these shameful spectacles.

Led by musicians and stilt walkers, the colourful procession, some in regional dress, carried banners saying: « Subsidise culture, not torture! », « I am a local resident and I don’t like bullfighting… » and « Nîmes no longer wants to be a city of blood! ». They came from Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon, Nantes, Nice and Paris, or from much further afield — Belgium, Holland, Italy and Catalunya.

After a minute of silence in memory of the thousands of bulls sacrificed each year on the altar of stupidity and unenlightenment, the marchers formed a huge human chain around the bullring, symbol of the strength of their commitment. Hundreds of balloons were burst and with a final « No concession, we want abolition! » the gathering dispersed. Anti-corrida Europe had shown their determination and hope for the future.

On the same morning, the pro-corrida managed only 500 supporters to defend their « traditions », despite the noticeable support of many parliamentarians...

Poster withdrawed !

The poster of the feria of Béziers, signed by the architect Jean Nouvel, copied a photograph of Sebastian Chabal with the head of a bull, creating an unbearable amalgam between bullfighting and rugby.

By an open letter for Sebastian Chabal and sent to the president of the French federation of Rugby, we reproached the instrumentalisation of the sportsman by a minority in lack of strong feelings.

Walter Spanghero, well-known rugby player and member of honour of the Antibullfighting Alliance, also wanted to react. Qualifying rugby of: « sport with a sincere respect for the opponent », he thinks that bullfights are « unequal confrontations between a person and a bull who is trapped in a cowardly way ».

That's why, in the name of all those for whom the involvement of rugby in bullfighting is unbearable, we asked Sebastian Chabal, « not to let [his] blue shirt stained by the blood of animals sacrificed ».

An hour later our press release, the agent of Chabal confirmed us, on the phone, that the photograph had been « diverted by Jean Nouvel ». On the following day, July 24th, Raymond Couderc, mayor of Béziers made the decision to withdraw the poster and did not exclude to carry a case against the architect owing to the serious detriment since the poster had to be sold in many ways!

New French Anti-Bullfighting city

Our campaigns have succeeded in persuading elected members and some
city councils to distinctly refuse this barbarity. Following the
decision of Mouans-Sartoux, Montignac and Bully-les-mines, Joucou
(in the Aude departement) has proclaimed itself against bull-fighting at the
request of numerous members of the association.

In this way Joucou, although situated in hostile territory, has
become the 4th French town to publicly pronounce itself an "Animal-
friendly town against bullfighting" with the support and assistance
of its mayor, Emmanuelle Fauche.

feb. 2009

Baby Matador Banned!

Michelito Lagravère, aged 11, was drawn to bullfighting since the age of five. He has killed 70 bulls and has already scars. But French laws don’t permit anybody under 16 to perform in a bullring, so today’s pre-pubescent toreros all come to Mexico, where there are no such laws. Those baby bullfighters have begun getting top billing from promoters, who view them as a new way to bring people to the bullrings!

In the summer 2008, the Antibullfighting Alliance, applied to four public prosecutors and the ministry of justice to have the baby matador bullfights cancelled and succeeded in banning him twice. Two other shows given in small cities turned into capeas (no blood, no injuries for the bulls). The baby killer should have come back to France to perform again But he gave up… No blood, no money, no medias means no interest, of course!

To get his name listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s youngest matador, his parents encouraged him to kill six calves in Mexico, on Jan. 2009.

A video was even brought to the attention of Guinness World Records for recognition. Fortunately, the record will not be validated on the grounds that they " do not accept records based on the killing or harming of animals". Well done the Guiness Book!

Let us remember that the Antibullfighting Alliance succedeed in preventing baby bullfighters under 16 from facing a bull in a bullring and managed to ban El Juli (on the left) and Andy Cartagena from performing from 1995 to 1996. Moreover, at our request, the law court fined the organiser of bullfights in Nîmes, in 1997, owing to his previous performances.

june 2001

No More Charity Bullfights!

Charity bullfights are more and more set to raise funds for AIDS, the paralysed, the handicapped children or whatever. May be to have an alibi. The horrible afeitado (see below) is legal during those so called festivals.

We succeeded in making the Paralysed of France and other humanitarian organisations drop this fundraising. Here’s what the director wrote to us: "We’re glad to announce you that, owing to your campain, we won’t accept any funds due to the sufferings of any animals anymore".

Join the Antibullfighting Alliance

You can join the Antibullfighting Alliance, download our documents, our folders and shop safely online By purchasing from this catalogue, you will be contributing to the fight against bullfighting.

And now, there’s a new, easy and safe way to help and make a donation free of charge. When on the page boutique, click on one of the two last "cotiser" buttons. You can choose between Membre bienfaiteur: 38 € or Cotisation étranger: 25 €.
Thanks so much for playing your part in helping to make a better world for mankind...

Heads of Tails? It’s all the same…

A bullfight, a bloody rite condemned by a majority of Europeans, consists in torturing six bulls for a quarter of an hour each. First of all, the picador sticks a lance up to fourteen centimeters long into the bull’s back and twists it inside the wound so as to sever the neck ligament. Then he opens the wound by driving in six 7cm-long harpoons: the banderillas. Then the animal is put to death, at best with a single sword-stroke, but this is extremely rare. The unhappy record up to now is thirty four attempts!

But the worst is before… Some bullfighters demand that the bulls be mutilated before they come into the arena. They are willing to take fewer and fewer risks while earning up to $ 400,000 for a single performance! This horrible practice - afeitado - consists in sawing off with no pain killer five or ten centimeters of the horn then to stuff the innervated matter back towards the root of that very horn and then sharpening the tip again. Mutilating the bull’s horns amounts to depriving him of all his spatial perception and to diminish the animal psychologically speaking.

In addition, the spaces in which the animals, fed on pellets are raised, are getting smaller and smaller. Their muscular qualities are so deficient that they fall to their knees as soon as they come into the arena. As for the animals’ health, the Alliance has obtained autopsy stating reports that a damning proportion of bulls had been hit by tuberculosis, leading to the meat’s being seized. In these circumstances, can anyone dare talk about an equal-to-equal fight?